Alone
by The Banana Nut Muffin
Summary: Afraid and unloved, Harry suffers from the neglect and abuse of his relatives. No one cares about him and he feels isolated. But all that will change when he finds out that there is someone out there who truly does care. A man by the name of Sirius Black.
1. A Cry For Help

Everyone in the entire world has a family, or they did at one point in time, Harry thought, frowning. He had remembered the elderly man on the television preaching it to his audience one night when Uncle Vernon was channel surfing, and everyone living in Privet Drive could hear it blaring.

If that were true then why did he not have one? Sure, the Dursley's were his blood relatives, but they didn't treat him like a real member of the family; he was too much of a _freak_. The Dursley's were consistently plain and despised anything out of the ordinary, and as far as they saw, Harry Potter was anything but _normal_. He didn't deserve a real family, was the conclusion he had reached after countless hours spent thinking about it. And his aunt and uncle did well to remind him of that every time they caught sight of the boy out of his cupboard.

"What are you gawking at, boy?!" Vernon Dursley, a walrus of a man with a very bushy mustache spat, breaking Harry from his thoughts.

"I thought- ..er, nothing, sir."

That seemed to satisfy the rather large man, and he spoke nothing more of it, continuing to grumble on about work and such to his frail, horse-faced wife, Petunia. The family was heading back to their quiet, serene house in Little Whinging after a pleasant day of spoiling their son, Dudley, rotten and cooing over how adorable he looked at his young age of 8. Of course, no one had paid any bit of attention to Harry, and went out of their way to love and shower him with affection.

That was just how it was. Dudley was spoiled silly while the _'freak'_ was ignored and unloved.

It had been this way as far as he could remember. He had only asked about his parents once, and that had been a big mistake on his part. His aunt hadn't said a word, but her eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates and she had fled the scene before Harry could ask what was wrong. He could still feel the sting from his uncle's beefy hand where it had collided with his cheek, and his words were like poison to him.

_"Those freaks got what they deserved!"_

Often, Harry wondered if his parents had been bad people; criminals. That would explain why his relatives resented him so much, but he dared not ask them anything more about it.

"MUMMY! LOOK AT THE DOGGY! I WANT IT! I WANT IT!"

Doggy? Dudley's screams had caught the attention of everyone in the car, and even Harry was slightly curious. He had seen a dog earlier, and faintly wondered if it was the same one.

"Where is the doggy, Duddy-kins?" Aunt Petunia asked, humouring her son. She would never allow a vicious mongrel into her clean house, reguardless of what her precious boy wanted.

Shoving his cousin aside, Dudley pointed out the back window and sure enough there it was. Scruffy, dirty, filthy, but a dog none-the-less. It's thick black coat looked as if it hadn't been brushed in years, but it wagged it's tail at the sight of the Dursley's, or Harry rather. Yes, it's smooth grey eyes were definitely staring into Harry's bright green ones.

He had seen the exact same dog earlier! And it was the same one that had been lurking near the trash cans of next door neighbor Mrs. Figg, a few days prior. This dog was following Harry!

"I want it, NOW!" Dudley wailed, chucking his ice cream into the front seat, where it missed Petunia's head by mere inches, and instead landed against the windshield with a SPLAT. Uncle Vernon slammed on the brakes, but the dog remained as still as stone.

"Shoo! Off with you, filthy vermin!" he yelled, face turning a bright scarlet. The dog blinked a few times, and trotted over to the side of the Impala. Harry and Dudley watched in awe as it started to scratch on the car door, and didn't seem to notice the horrified faces of the adults.

"THE BLOODY BEAST IS RUINING OUR CAR!"

Petunia looked as though she might faint, and held onto the car seat to steady herself. The dog continued to scratch at the door, and even let loose a loud bark that excited both the 8 year olds. "Let the doggy inside, Harry!" ordered Dudley, prodding him in the back with his fist so that he would obey. "He wants to be my dog! I want him! Do it!"

Harry had been on the verge of it, but was cut off as the engine roared back to life.

So close.

The Impala jutted forward, and didn't stop until the big, black dog had completely disappeared from view.

So very close.

It was nearly Dudley's bedtime when the car had finally pulled into Number 4 Privet Drive, and everyone's moods had turned sour. Uncle Vernon stormed into his house without a word being said while Aunt Petunia tried to console her spoiled son with promises of new toys and ice cream tomorrow, and soon he forgot all about the dog. Harry, however, hadn't. He was sure that dog had been looking directly at him, and he wanted to know why. It was frivolous, really. A dog was just a dog. There was nothing special about it; it was just some stray mutt that had probably been looking for a bite to eat.

With a sigh, Harry trudged up to the front door, and proceeded to make his way inside. But, something was wrong.

The door was locked.

He was going to have to sleep outside! This had not been the first time it had happened, and Uncle Vernon hadn't exactly been thrilled to see his nephew's terrified face when he had reached down to collect his morning paper. Harry solemnly turned and sat down on the cold, hard porch steps, dreading the morning. The only good thought swimming in his head was that it wasn't raining, and as fate would have it, the downpour started.

Harry shivered, wiping the glistening drops from his face with his ragged old hand-me-down shirt that was two sizes too big for him. At least it provided some warmth from the biting cold wind, not much, but some. He hugged himself, and lay on his side, trying to get comfortable. An impossible feat. He was feeling as alone as ever, and the rain reminded him of that burning fact as it pounded down on his small body.

By now, the Dursley's were enjoying a nice cup of tea, and probably giving Dudley a bubble bath, which he detested greatly for some odd reason. Harry would give anything for a nice bubble bath, or even a kind word or two. His whole life was just centered upon insult after insult, and he had not one friend.

He didn't blame anyone but himself. The Dursleys had instilled it into his head that he was a freak. And now, he truly believed it. Who could ever love someone like him?

Thunder roared ferociously in the distance, and Harry covered his ears. He had never been a fan of thunderstorms, and quite honestly, he was scared to death of them. His whole body shook violently, and after another loud clap of thunder, he realized he couldn't hold it in any longer. A cry, feeble and terrified, very unlike his own, escaped his throat, and he hardly recognized his own voice.

"H-help me," And it was then that he started to sob.

* * *

_Will someone answer Harry's plea? Review, and give me your complete and honest opinion. :)_


	2. Not so Alone

_Thanks for the reviews and story alerts! :) Sorry it took me so long to get this up, but I fell asleep as I was writing it._

_**XX-XX **_

The young, despondent child was too drowned in his sorrow to notice the bulky, black form watching silently from across the street. The rain was starting to die down, and the mysterious figure took a few hesitant steps forward, unsure if this was the right thing to do. After hearing the wounded sobs from the little emerald green-eyed boy increase, it could stand his pain no longer, and broke into a run for the porch steps.

Harry's small body quivered on the hard cement as he tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself. His eyes were red and swollen from crying for so long, and he realized his glasses were missing. He sniffed, feeling around for them, and his hand landed on something soft.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he found himself staring into soft, grey eyes belonging to a big, black creature.

"Y-you!"

Even though his vision was foggy, he could distinctly make out those eyes. It was in fact the dog he had seen earlier, and it was holding his glasses in between it's teeth. Harry squinted, trying to see past the rain, and the creature lowered it's head, sheltering him from the frigid cold. It carefully placed the small frames into Harry's open hand, and waited to see how the child would react.

He wiped the rest of his tears away, and slowly put his glasses back on. "T-thanks," he mumbled quietly, petting the seemingly harmless kanine's tummy. The dog began to wag it's tail, and licked the side of his new friend's face.

It felt odd, but he just had to ask, "have you b-been following me, boy?"

To Harry's great surprise, the creature nodded, and he could've sworn it had winked at him. "Y-you..understand me." It was more of a bewildered statement than a question.

The large animal gave a firm nod, and tugged at the sleeve of his over sized t-shirt.

"You want me to..follow you?"

The Dursleys, as stubborn and stone-hearted as they were, had at least taught the boy the basics about strangers. Well, strange dogs in this case. And the more Harry thought about it, the more it made sense. He couldn't just go off gallivanting around with some dog that he had seen a few days ago! What if it had rabies? It could bite him, and then he would be in even more trouble. But, it didn't look vicious. On the contrary, it looked positively harmless, and it had licked him! Those weren't the characteristics of a vicious dog.

He lovingly stroked the side of the animal's face, increasing the speed of it's wagging tail. "Do you have a name, boy?"

The dog wasn't wearing a collar, and Harry figured it was just a stray, but something sparked in the pup's eyes at the mention of a name.

"I guess you don't have a home either then," he finally decided, tracing a pattern in the grooves of the wet concrete.

Harry pondered on whether or not the dog would be allowed to stay with him. His aunt would throw a fit, and the beast probably wouldn't fit in his cupboard anyways. With eyes downcast, Harry turned to face _'his'_ dog. "You're lonely, aren't you? That's why you want me to follow-"

But he was cut off as the dog suddenly let out a snarling growl. Harry jumped back in surprise, but the growl hadn't been aimed towards him. A little ways away into the darkness, just beyond the sign reading "Little Whinging_",_ was a faint light. It was dim at first, but started to grow intricately brighter as it neared Privet Drive. The dog became frantic, and suddenly began tugging at Harry's sleeve again, this time with a little more force.

"W-what's wrong?! Why...h-hey!" It began pulling Harry's arm toward the road, away from the Dursley's porch.

The light was blindingly bright now, and he could hear hushed voices as the dog forced him to leave his relatives house.

"Quickly minister, he might have found the child already!!"

"Merlin, Remus! Slow down, I'm not as young as I used to be!"

Harry swung back just in time to see the source of the lustrous, gleaming light as they were swallowed into the descending darkness.

A stick? Had he seen it right? The light had been emitting from a thin piece of wood! And who were those men? They seemed to be searching for someone, but his dog running away from them. None of it made sense to Harry, but he was determined to find out.

"Er, boy! Slow down! Um...heal?" he commanded, sort of. The dog, however, did nothing of the sort, and continued to drag him even further from Number 4, Privet Drive. Feeling slightly offended, Harry pulled gently on the dog's tail. "Where are we going?!"

Without warning, the dog came to a crashing stop, and the poor child was knocked straight onto his rear. They had not traveled far from the voices, but for some reason the dog thought it necessary to stop in the middle of a highway with nothing but a rusty old traffic sign for company. It had stopped raining, but both of them were still soaked from sitting underneath the dripping rain gutters that had been poorly installed last week courtesy of Vernon Dursley.

The large creature shook itself off while Harry helped himself off of the wet grass he had landed, rather painfully, onto. The dog threw him an apologetic look, but Harry shrugged it off. "Who were they?!" he demanded, not really expecting an explanation. After all, it was just a dog.

The dog lowered its head, and Harry assumed that was the human equivalent of a sigh. He wasn't really angry with the dog, but he just wanted to know what was happening. "I'm sorry I shouted," he lowered his eyes, frowning, "I'm not mad at you, boy."

"It's alright, pup."

His head snapped up at the snarky voice, and his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. What had once been a dog in front of him, now stood a man. His long, dark hair stopped just above his shoulders, and he had several small scars lining his face, giving off the appearance that he was harmful. But, those warm, grey eyes stated otherwise, the way they bore into Harry's emerald ones with tenderness and..love? He flashed the boy a toothy smile, and winked at him. "Sorry to do this to you, Harry, but we haven't much time."

Before Harry could react, he felt himself being swept into the man's arms, and into a swirling vortex as they disappeared into oblivion with a _crack_.

* * *

"Damn! Black got away, _again_!"

The man called Remus bit back a snide remark, and extinguished the light from his wand. _How did he get past those charms Dumbledore set around the Dursley house?_ His eyes narrowed as he let loose a low, wolfish growl._Then again, he did get past the dementors. This must've been a cake walk for the sick, twisted traitor_. His thoughts lingered on the child with the lightning bolt scar, and only then did his anger diminish. _Poor cub_, He thought, _heaven knows what torment Black is putting him through now_...

"Remus? Are you even listening to me?" The second man broke through his thoughts.

"Yes, minister. I haven't the slightest of how he managed to break through Albus's barriers, but he did. And he has Harry." Just saying those words sickened him, and he could feel the anger boiling deep down in his stomach. He had made a promise to James that he would keep his son safe, they both had, and he was going to uphold his promise, unlike Black. _Filthy traitor! How could you betray James and Lily's trust?!_

"Probably lured the child out of the house with his black magic, he did! Wouldn't you agree, Remus?"

Remus didn't respond at first, and could only stare down the long driveway that Dudley once used to "Harry Hunt" on. "We're wasting time minister! I'm going to get Harry back."

And that was a promise.

* * *

"I've waited so long to see you, Harry!"

Surprised by the sudden shrill voice, Harry, dazed and confused, looked up from his captor's arms to be greeted by a warm smile. They were no longer on the road leading to Little Whinging, or anywhere near it, it seemed. But, he was confused as to why. Actually, it was more suitable to say that he was just genuinely confused. His dog was now his man. His dog had never been a dog in the first place. Men in cloaks carrying sticks that lit up were after his do- man, and they had just traveled through a whirlwind of blackness that felt as if his skin had been peeling off of him. That was a lot to take in for an 8 year old child.

And, it had taken its toll on him.

He slid out of the man's grasp, and wretched onto the grass. His head was spinning as he tried to make heads or tails of the situation, and he felt gentle hands stroke the back of his neck in comfort. He let the man massage his neck until he felt his eyelids droop. The man carefully picked the small boy up and cradled him in his arms. It had broken his heart to hear his godson cry so brokenly, and after everything that had happened to him, he at least deserved a good night's rest. "My poor little pup," he whispered, carrying the boy up the steps of his temporary safe house.

"You're not alone anymore."

**...TBC...**

_How was it? I'll try to make the next chapter longer, and have it up sooner. And, I might change the title of the story. What do you guys think? Review, please! :) _


	3. You can call me Sirius

_Thanks again for the great reviews! Unfortunately, I won't be able to update as quick as I usually do because I'm leaving for the beach tonight! I'll be back in a week so no worries. :P Hopefully, you'll be patient with me_.

**XX-XX**

Harry awoke to the sharp whistle and cry of a tea kettle, followed by the awful scrape of glass as it came into contact with something as equally breakable and noisy. Someone was making tea. But, that couldn't be right. It was Harry's job to get up in the morning and make the tea. Surely he would get punished for this mistake, his uncle would see to that. Punishing his nephew was top priority for him if the chores weren't completed around the Dursley house.

He instantly shot up from the soft cushion that lay under him, and made a mad dash for the kitchen.

Before he could go any farther, a pair of hands roughly seized him from behind. "Not so fast, pup. You've been out in the rain all night, and 6 hours just isn't going to cut it," the voice commanded in a gentle, yet firm, tone.

The unruly, dark-haired child immediately recognized the familiar voice, and the events of last night came flooding back to him like a tidal wave. He was no longer in, around or near the vicinity of Privet Drive, as far as he knew. He wasn't even sure if they were still in Surrey, but his mind was swarming with about a million questions, and the details of where he was wasn't in the midst of them.

Finally, he found his voice, "w-who are you?" he asked, daring to make eye contact with the man that had once been a dog.

The man could sense his fear, and he loosened his grip to show that he wouldn't harm the boy. His lips twisted into a sad smile as he looked into his godson's bright emerald orbs, and immediately was reminded of Lily. _He looks so much like James, but he has his mother's eyes_. _How long has it really been since.._ He forced himself not to think about the incident that had led to his best friend's death, in fear that he would break down in front of Harry.

"You probably don't remember me, Harry, but I know who you are," He waited for a response from the boy, but Harry was rendered silent. _He's probably terrified of me,_ the man thought, worried. _Although I did give him a good reason to be. From the looks of things, he doesn't know what magic is yet. I wouldn't have expected Lily's sister to tell him, anyway. She was a nutter from the start._ "I...knew your father," he continued, "and we were the best of friends. Still are."

Harry didn't know what to say. A wave of mixed emotion swept over him, and he felt as if his legs would give in at any moment without really knowing why. This man, this _stranger_, had kidnapped him overnight, and now he was telling him that he knew his father. What was he supposed to be feeling right now? Could he trust the man? Was he lying?

"I'm your godfather, Harry. Years ago, when you were just a little pup, I would come and babysit you, even though your mum didn't approve of my methods, we would still have the best of times..." He trailed off, and suddenly turned away from his godson. _What was that?_ His ears strained to hear the noise again.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Now Harry could hear it, and the man was immediately on the alert.

"Stay put, pup. I'll be back in a moment."

Once the man was out of sight _-most likely tending to the tea that had been long overdue-_Harry had a decision to make. Should he trust his so-called godfather, and stay with him? Or head back to the Dursleys where he was sure to get a good beating for being gone for so long? The safer answer was to go back to Privet Drive, if he could find his way back, but his heart truly did not desire to go back, even if his head was screaming not to trust this stranger. But, the man hadn't done any harm to him, and he had even lulled him to sleep last night. The Dursleys had never comforted him in any way, and this stranger that had just met him last night, claiming he had had know him long before, had soothed him until he had fallen into dream land.

And he had given him a nice bed to sleep on too! And, he had been worried about him getting sick!

A person with the intent of harming him would never do any of those things!

His 8 year old logic was telling him that the guy was probably telling the truth.

But he hadn't given his name. _What am I supposed to call him? _Harry wondered, biting on his lower lip. _What if he doesn't like me? _

While Harry pondered on the newest spew of worries, his godfather reappeared, holding 2 steaming, hot cups of what appeared to be tea. He carefully handed one over to his godson, making sure to blow on it first. "Here you are, pup. This will surely make you feel loads better."

"Thanks, um..." Harry glanced up uncertainly at the man, but gave him a small smile in reassurance.

His godfather flashed him an award winning smile.

"You can call me, Sirius. Sirius, Black."

**...TBC...**

_I'm so so sorry, all! That's all I had time to write! I promise when I get back that the chapters will be much, much longer! But, I really have to go now! Please review, and again, sorry for the shortness of the chapter. :P There will be lots of Harry/Sirius fluff next chapter! _


	4. Surprises

_You guys are amazing! Thanks so very much for all the wonderful reviews! I got sick on vacation so it wasn't all that fun, but here is the next chapter for all you lovely readers. You'll see the two bonding in this chapter, and starting to feel each other out. :P Not meant to sound so dirty. XP _

**XX-XX**

Harry had about a million questions racing through his head, most of which concerned his location and why Sirius had captured him last night of all nights, and why he had waited until now to do so. He also wanted to ask about the peculiar men with light-up sticks, and was just burning to know what his parents had been like. But, before he could ask any of those questions, Sirius intervened.

"Is everything alright, pup? You look distraught." Sirius inwardly snorted. Of course his godson wasn't 'alright'. He was probably terrified, confused, maybe even worried that he would hurt him. He would never in his life bring _any_ harm to the 8 year old, but Harry had just met him and he didn't know anything about his godfather.

The bright eyed, slightly perplexed looking child tried to gather his jumbled thoughts, and conjure up an answer to ease his godfather's worries. But the words were lost in the back of his throat, and his head was screaming for him to say something, anything!

"Why, I think...y-you were a dog?" ,he finally choked out after a few moments of silence.

It was the best Harry could manage as he met his godfather's, _surprisingly_, amused gaze.

"Yes, I am, and I know you're probably wondering how that is," Sirius assumed, taking a sip of his tea while motioning for Harry to do the same. "have you ever heard of an animagus, pup?" When he shook his head to indicate he hadn't, Sirius continued, "you probably haven't been introduced to magic either, correct?"

"Magic?" Harry threw him an incredulous look, searching his face for any traces of amusement.

Not even a hint of a smile.

Harry tensed up a bit. Magic? And what was an animagus? The issue of trust suddenly sprang up in his mind again, and he had to squeeze it back down with just the slightest fathom of doubt. _Sirius knew my parents. He was my dad's best friend. I can trust him.._ he reassured himself, but a tiny voice in the back of his head told him otherwise. _You didn't even know your own dad! How do you know this nutter isn't just lying to you?_

"Please, Harry, take another sip of your tea, you're starting to look a bit peakish." Sirius advised gently, pushing back the tousled bangs that were sticking to his godson's sweat-drenched forehead. Harry winced, alarmed by the sudden contact.

A heavy, sinking feeling tore through Sirius seeing the pained look on his godson's face, and how quickly he had recoiled at his touch. _What did those muggles do to my pup?_ he thought, abashed. He narrowed his eyes at the memory of the large man screaming at his godson while the fat boy next to him had taunted and tormented him. _No wonder he looks so unhealthy...those relatives of his probably never gave him food. They didn't properly clothe him either, that's for damn sure._

Harry swallowed his anxiety, and stole a quick peek in his godfather's direction. Sirius had set his tea cup down onto a small nearby nightstand that was placed in reverence next to a large, king-sized arm chair with comfy black cushioning. The boy hadn't really taken the time to examine the new house, but just from the furnishings he could tell it was finely decorated and belonged to someone with great wealth. _He looks so angry.. Maybe he's starting to figure out that I'm an ungrateful freak. Why did I flinch like that? Stupid. Stupid!_ Harry felt his spirits deflate at this new prospect. He rather liked the attention Sirius was giving him, and the way he had handled him with such tenderness, almost like he was important and actually mattered. But, he knew that wasn't true.

Lost in his anger, Sirius involuntarily began to stroke the boy's head, and only after a small amount of flinching did he start to relax into it.

_What am I doing? What is he doing?_ Harry wondered, another wave of mixed emotions sweeping over him. _I thought he was angry with me. Why isn't he hitting me instead? _"Sirius? Are you...a-angry?" A hint of uncertainty plagued his words, and even a bit of fear. Honestly, he was afraid of the answer. What would his godfather do to him if he was? Surely he would get beaten. That's what was expected in the Dursley house. Would this be any different?

"Yes, Harry, I am angry," Sirius responded in a venomous tone. "-but not at you, pup." he added hastily, after seeing the genuine look of terror on his godson's face. He smiled sadly, giving the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Never at you."

Harry was very comforted by those words, and even a little relieved. He banished any bad thoughts of this man ever harming him into the back of his mind, and took another small swig of his tea. Right now, he had more questions he was just aching to ask him. "Can you change into the dog again?" he questioned, curious. "And what is an a-ni-mag-us? And who were those men? And you said something about magic- "

"Hush, puppy." Sirius held up 2 fingers to silence him, and that it did. "I'll answer any questions you have later, but for now we must get you out of those old clothes, and into some fresh new ones. A nice, warm bubble bath should do the trick." He winked, flashing the boy another friendly smile. "How about it, pup? And I won't take no for an answer!" he announced, stubbornly.

"I-I guess," Harry agreed timidly. But on the inside, he was just bursting with joy. New clothes? And a bath! This man was an angel!

Dudley always got the bubble baths, never the freak. Aunt Petunia had never let her nephew step foot into her clean and tidy bathroom that she spent hours a day scrubbing until the tile was sparkling. Harry had to use the poorly built shack in the backyard if he had to use the loo, and the closest thing to a bath that he had ever experienced was sitting alone, wet and shivering in a small, rusty old tub outside while Uncle Vernon hosed him down. He shuddered at the horrible memory, but luckily Sirius hadn't noticed.

Sirius beamed. "Follow me upstairs then, pup!"

Harry watched as his godfather literally marched up the staircase -_that seemed to have appeared out of thin air_- and he followed suit, albeit not as enthused as Sirius was. When they reached the landing at the top, Harry almost dropped the tea cup that he had been holding to the floor, but Sirius stopped it in mid-air. "I don't think it's really all that marvelous, but it's home." the man spoke, grinning at the boy's surprised reaction.

"Welcome to the House of Black, Harry."

"Whoa," Harry was speechless. Never in his life had he seen so many portraits of finely-dressed, wealthy looking people, and they were all moving! Were his eyes playing tricks on him? He took off his glasses, and cleaned them off as best he could with the bottom of his shirt. He placed them back onto his face, and much to his great astonishment, the pictures were still moving!

Sirius ruffled the matted hair affectionately, and led the boy down the long corridor of his deceased relatives, and into an enormous white-tiled room that could only be the loo. "Do you need any help undressing? Er...I'll just ring up your bath first," he smiled, making his way over to what looked to be a mini swimming pool. Harry stood frozen, gawking at the size of the bath that _he _was going to be bathing in. He was barely aware of what his godfather was doing, and failed to notice that the man now possessed a thin finely-crafted piece of wood in his hands.

"Here's where the fun starts, Harry!"

The boy aimed his full attention at Sirius now, grinning as the man let out a bark of laughter. "Watch this, pup."

Something akin to mischief gleamed in the man's silvery grey eyes as he raised his wand high above the empty tub.

He winked in Harry's direction, shooting him a look of pure joy. It looked as if Harry was going to receive a little show. Once he brought the wand crashing back down, a few astounding things happened all at once. The once empty tub was filled to the brim with warm, inviting bath water, and jets of red and yellow bubbles were streaming into the water from all sides of the bath. Some of the bubbles rose out of the water, and danced their way over to the duo, landing on their noses, and popping out of sight. The scent they caused was very alluring, and Harry was eager to get in. His eyes shone affectionately at the man that had made this all happen, and he squealed with delight.

"How did you do all of that, Sirius?! It was..was..WICKED!" Harry momentarily forgot about the Dursley's and what they would say to his sudden happiness. He couldn't remember being this happy, ever. This magic or whatever it was, excited him! He didn't know how he would ever repay Sirius for making such a fuss over him, but he would do it one day. Sirius was swelling with pride over his superb feat, and even more jaunty over the fact that his godson was smiling and laughing, and he was the cause of it. He pocketed his wand, turning to face the smiling boy.

"Ah, soon you'll be able to do this, pup." Sirius told him, enthralled with this new turn of events. But, his brow furrowed for a moment as a terrible thought suddenly struck him, turning his happy mood dour. _If the charges are lifted and I'm a free man. Until then Harry won't be able to attend Hogwarts if the Daily Prophet is going to swarm him for answers of my whereabouts. No, I couldn't do that to him._ Sirius frowned, and stared at the boy that he cared for more than anything else in the world. _He looks so happy._ The man sighed heavily, _I'll never be able to give him a normal life if I'm a wanted man. Why didn't I properly think this through? What do I even know about raising a child?_ He snorted. _Nothing. But, I surely have enough sense to know that the Dursleys are not suitable guardians for my godson. He deserves happiness.._

"Sirius?" Harry had noticed his godfather wasn't smiling or laughing anymore. A feeling of unease settled in the pit of his stomach at the look of hopelessness plastered onto the man's face. _There's that look again!_ Harry felt his lower lip beginning to tremble. And they had just begun to laugh and have a good time! What had he done wrong? _Maybe I shouldn't have yelled....why do_ _I ruin everything? _he asked himself miserably.

"I..um, I-I'll leave now," Harry excused himself quietly, feeling the guilt wrench over him at spoiling his godfather's good mood. "I-I'm sorry, Sirius." he apologized quietly, too ashamed to meet the man's eyes.

"What?" Sirius snapped out of his trance, looking down at the little boy. Much to his dismay, the smile was wiped off his face, and he was refusing to look him in the eyes. What had happened? "Harry, pup, what's wrong?" he asked softly, lowering down to the boy's level.

Harry still refused to look him in the eye, and it troubled Sirius to know how quickly the atmosphere had changed. He gently forced his chin up so that their eyes would meet, and once again he felt his heart skip a beat at the sadness etched deep into the emerald eyes. "Come now, pup. Did I do something to upset you? You can tell me, little one. I hate seeing you so sad."

"You do?"

The voice surprised the both of them. Harry hated himself for sounding so weak and frail, but after years of the Dursleys wearing him down with abuse and constantly reminding him that he was nothing, he couldn't help it.

"Of course I do, pup. Ever since my best friend, your dad, was- " he swallowed the lump in his throat, daring himself to say the words, "-m-murdered, I vowed to do everything in my power to make you, his son, happy." He blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, and forced himself to continue on. "I love you Harry, and I want you to be happy, regardless of how I feel. Do you see now?"

Harry felt his stomach twist with agony, and he had to bite down on his lip to keep himself from breaking down right there and then. His dad had been murdered? The Dursleys had told him that they had died in a car crash, and it was very unfortunate that he was the only survivor, and that his scar had resulted from a stray shard of glass from the windshield of the car when it shattered from the impact. There had been nothing about a murder. They had lied to him! Not a big surprise, but it hurt him deeply to know that his dad had been murdered. He wanted to bury his head in the man's chest, and let out all of his sorrows, but his godfather might think he was a baby so he continued to hold it in.

They had both completely forgotten about the bathtub full of colorful bubbles. A few popped, breaking some of the tension in the room, but ultimately it went unnoticed.

"Harry, you know it's alright to cry, pup," Sirius whispered, seeing the glossy look in his godson's eyes, and the way he bit down on his lip so that nothing could escape. His face had turned pale, and his skin had gone a bit pasty as well. Sirius gently began to massage the back of his neck, just like he had done the previous night, trying to get him to relax a bit.

Harry shook, not from the touch, but from the sole fact that he had been deprived of what his godfather was giving him now: love.

He couldn't stand the misery anymore. It was eating away at him, crawling down into the depths of his heart, squeezing the life out of him. His parents had been murdered. He was an orphan. His relatives had taken him in, abused him, degraded him, made him feel like he was lower than the dirt, starved him, and lied to him. They had made him feel like no one cared, and he would never be loved simply because he was a freak. Any minute now, he would break, he just knew it.

Sirius couldn't stand to see his puppy looking so despondent anymore either. He had to console him somehow.

Harry stared into the eyes of his godfather, and saw understanding and even hurt in the grey eyes. Sirius wordlessly held his arms open, and the boy almost knocked him backwards from the force of the hug. "W-whyareyousonice?! And..andmyparentsweremurderedandwhy? Why?! Why?", he babbled miserably into the fabric of his godfather's shirt. It killed Sirius to hear the broken cries emitting from the small figure, and all he could do was rub circles around his back in a vain attempt to soothe him. At least now Harry was releasing some of his pain.

"Shhh, Harry, just try to relax, pup," Sirius soothed, "you're safe now, kiddo. The Dursley's won't be able to hurt you anymore. It's alright."

Harry sniffed, wiping some of his tears away with the sleeve of his enormous t-shirt. There wasn't a shadow of doubt now that Sirius really did want him, and for once he felt loved. "I..I love you too, Sirius." He had never felt more relaxed in a stranger's arms. But, this wasn't just a stranger anymore. No, this man was his godfather, and in the short time he had met him, Harry had really, truly grown to love him as much as a son could love a father. He felt safe around him, and he didn't care anymore that his godfather could be a criminal. He had found a real home.

"Why don't we get you into the tub? And afterwards, I'll whip us up something to eat," Sirius suggested, carrying Harry towards the bath.

"Mhmm," he mumbled incoherently, his head resting against the man's shoulder blade.

"And you're not going to fall asleep on me, are you pup?" Sirius joked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Harry?"

He could hear light snoring coming from the Wizarding World's youngest hero, and Sirius just had to smile. _Of course, only James' son would fall asleep right when he has to take a bath. _He rolled his eyes, and began to peel off the baggy, moth-eaten shirt that had once belonged to Dudley Dursley, only to find, to his horror, several bruises along the child's rib cage. _They didn't._ His mouth hung open in shock._ Not to my_ _godson. _

A low, almost inaudible growl escaped his throat, "I'll kill them. What in the bloody hell was Dumbledore thinking?!" he cursed out loud, careful as not to wake Harry up. "How could he leave my pup in the care of those...those..._animals_?!" _Merlin knows what other torture they put him through! And I'm supposed to be the bad guy! How could that tottering old fool not have known?!_ _Like he cares about Harry anyways.._Sirius could feel his temper flaring, and he knew he shouldn't blame Dumbledore for the unfortunate ordeal.

He took a few deep, calming breaths, his chest heaving in and out under Harry's small frame. _As long as I'm living, I won't let anything happen to this child. He needs someone who cares. Spells and charms might keep him safe, but he needs someone to keep him warm, and happy, and fed, and loved, and no amount of magic in the world can provide that for him. _

Sirius sighed, stroking the side of his godson's face affectionately. _Everyone Harry will meet will see him as a hero, the boy-who-lived, savior of the wizarding world. I just wish they could see him as I see him. A child in need of a family, and a bit of love. Just like any other child._

* * *

Harry snuggled into the soft, warm cotton of the blanket he was lying on. He breathed in the heavenly scent, and to his immediate pleasure, found that he wasn't tangled up in his own over sized clothing. What a relief it was to finally be wearing clothes that actually fit, and didn't have a moldy smell to them. Sirius truly was an angel. He vaguely remembered the bath he had been given, it seemed it had happened hours ago, when in truth only an hour had passed. His godfather had found a pair of his old shorts, a t-shirt and socks, and had used a shrinking spell to get them to fit Harry. After he had gotten all clean and was properly clothed, Sirius fixed them a spectacular meal consisting of all the food groups, and of course pumpkin juice, which became Harry's new favorite drink. After the meal, Sirius took a few minutes to explain where he had brought Harry, and introduced him to wizard chess. And, that had became Harry's new favorite game -he really hadn't been allowed to participate in any games at the Dursleys, besides Harry Hunting- and he was thrilled with it all.

Sirius didn't want Harry to become too excited, fearing he might wear himself out so he had only told Harry the basics about magic. He had explained the process of apparation, and the 8 year old was slightly relieved he wouldn't be able to do it until he was 17. Harry was surprisingly fascinated with the idea of an animagus, and to Sirius's great pleasure, he was thrilled to know his godfather could turn into a dog.

He had decided to leave out the topic of Hogwarts, and the conversation had started to leaned toward the 2 things he had hoped to leave out until later. Of course, it was only natural Harry had been dying to find out what had really happened with his parents, and why he was captur- rescued in the first place. Sirius had told him sternly that they would get into greater detail about that later, and Harry hadn't pressed on any further with it. And now, Sirius watched from his spot on his favorite armchair as his little godson started to stir from the nap he had taken on the couch.

"Sleep well, pup?" he greeted kindly as bright, emerald green eyes fluttered open and turned to face him.

Harry nodded, smiling brightly as he sat upwards on the upholstery, placing his glasses onto his face. "I had a dream that I was flying, Sirius!"

"Did you?!" Sirius grinned, thinking back to the memory of when Lily had gone bonkers seeing her year old son on a toy broomstick that had been a present from his godfather. He had mentioned Quiditch somewhere in their long talk about magic, and of course Harry had been interested.

"Uh-huh, and a dragon was chasing after you," Harry babbled on about his wacky dream, and Sirius listened, laughing at all the right places, and nodding his head once or twice in agreement with him. "-and then the pumpkin exploded! And then you turned into Padfoot! And then my broom turned into a snake, and I started to fall off, but a giant fiery bird saved me! And then I woke up." Harry concluded, running everything back through his head to make sure he hadn't left anything out. Once he finished, Sirius was giggling madly.

"How much pumpkin juice did you drink before that nap, Harry?"

"Only a bit," came the sheepish reply.

Sirius rolled his eyes, smiling, "only a bit?" he repeated.

Harry laughed whole heartedly, bouncing up and down on the soft cushions. He was happy, his godfather gladly noted. And he seemed to have retained his spirit that the Dursleys had viciously stolen away from him through 8 years of suffering and hard work a child should not have to do.

"Well, what would you like to do, pup? I have some more games I think you would enjoy," he thought about Exploding Snap, and quietly disregarded the fact that Lily probably would not have approved of the game at his young age. "well?" But, Harry's attention was focused on the window next to the front door. He had his head cocked to one side, a questioning look on his face.

"See something interesting?"

"There's someone outside, Sirius," he answered, squinting to get a better view through the blinds. He casually hopped off the couch, and made his way over to the front door. "and they have wands too!" Harry announced excitedly, peering through the blinds.

Sirius, however, was not so thrilled at the news. He paled, and panic flooded through him. "Get away from the door, Harry! NOW!" he yelled, springing up from his arm chair. Harry was slightly taken aback by the sudden demand, but listened to his godfather nonetheless. Fueled by his adrenaline, Sirius whipped out his wand, and scooped the young boy into his arms, preparing to flee the scene. Neither of them were prepared for the deafening BANG as the door was blasted off it's hinges, and sent sailing into the air. Harry gasped, holding onto Sirius for dear life, scared out of his wits. What was happening here?!

"You look for the child, and I'll deal with Black. Oh, and a pheanomonal effort for being discreet, Wolf."

"Later, Severus! We have to get Harry away from that criminal!"

**....TBC....**

_I know, you probably hate me right now for the cliffhanger. Well, no worries! I'm already working on the next chapter! This is the longest chapter yet! I've worked my tail off writing this! So please, do me a solid and review! :D Thanks in advance! _


	5. A New Home

_This would've been up sooner, but I decided to spend the day outside since it wasn't raining for once. :P Reviews are appreciated as always. _

**XX-XX**

Sirius could've sworn he felt his heart stop beating. He was frozen in shock, and could only stare in open-mouth horror at the uninvited men.

Harry recognized one of the voices from the night Sirius had taken him away from his dreaded relatives, but the other he had never heard before. All he knew now was that these men were after his godfather! Before Sirius had any more time to react, his wand flew from his hand as the men entered the House of Black. "Expelliarmus!" one of them had shouted, raising his own wand. Terrified, the boy clung to his godfather with a vice grip, in fear that he too would be flying across the room.

The one called Severus was doused entirely from head to toe in black, with pasty, pale skin, and short greasy hair that dangled menacingly above his shoulders, while the other slightly older man had on a more casual attire. A velvet button-up sweater, long light brown trousers, and black penny loafers that complimented his outfit nicely. To Harry, he was less frightening with short, sandy blond hair, and twinkling honey-colored eyes than the darker man with his piercing stare. They both looked to be in their late 20's, and both bore equally frightening glares, directed at Sirius, most likely. Who were these guys? And what did they have against Sirius?

"Levi- "

"SEVERUS, STOP! ARE YOU MAD?!" the older man cried out hoarsely, "You can't use that spell on him!"

The black-clad wizard didn't lower his wand, but he threw his partner a slightly incredulous look. "You'd rather me not hex the man that betrayed Lily Potter? The very same that sold her out to the dark lord, had her executed?! Think about what you are saying, Remus."

Remus sighed, averting his gaze over to the little boy in his former best friend's arms. "I am thinking, Severus, and I'm thinking about Harry's safety. What if you miss- "

" -I never miss- "

" -if Severus, if- I don't want him getting hurt," Remus finished, satisfied with the explanation.

"Fine," he growled, lips pursing into a thin line, "but as soon as the child is out of that creature's filthy, putrid hands, I get to deal with him however I please. Agreed?" Severus smirked deviously, eyes sparking with a fiery lust for revenge, and the desire to unleash a fury on the man who had helped torment and bully him all his years as a student in the famous wizarding school, Hogwarts.

"And I'm assuming you're only here, Snivellus, to see to it that I'm taken back to the dementors, correct?" Sirius asked, sarcasm dripping from his words. Severus snorted, and his smirk only widened.

"Indeed, mutt. But, after all these years, it is you who finally has the short end of the stick," he said, ignoring the inaudible curse his childhood enemy directed at him. "and if it were me in your position, I would due well to hold my tongue, and it's silly really not to just give yourself up. You're clearly outnumbered, Black, and wandless."

"Funny," the man started up again, enjoying the looks of hatred Sirius threw him. "it wasn't at all difficult to track you, you know. A few simple spells, and your trail was just as hot as fire, " he licked his lips ominously, "even dogs know better than to travel into unknown territory."

The former prisoner felt his temper flare, and Severus's twisted smile did nothing to subdue it. Knowing that the man was getting some kind of sick pleasure out of it did not help, and he had to bite his tongue from lashing out a stream of curses that were too distasteful for his young godson to hear.

"What do you propose to do now black?" Severus asked, curious. "Don't think for a second I won't hex you into next century. I might even go as far as to do something...unforgivable..."

Sirius knew he was in trouble without a wand, and he could sense his godson's frustration as well. He had to get them out of this rut, somehow. They weren't going to take his godson away from him -without a fight-, and he would gouge his eyes out before he was taken back to Azkaban! "Hold tight, pup, it'll be alright," he whispered, trying to ease the boy's tension. Harry suddenly felt light-headed in the man's grasp, and he gave a weary nod in compliance.

"Remus, my old friend, what a pleasant surprise," Sirius greeted, feigning innocence. "but was it really necessary to make such a crude entrance? I thought you had a bit more courtesy than that...blowing down doors...Merlin, Moony!"

"You have no right using that name in front of Harry!" the usually laid-back man snarled, surprising them all. "Not after what you did, Black. Not after what you did to Lily and James!" He was literally shaking with rage, his soft golden brown eyes turning a fierce yellow, his breath hitching at a fast pace every time his eyes locked with the grey-eyed man. In and out, in and out, he tried to steady his breathing. Sirius felt the blood drain from his face as the realization began to set in. He dared to look Remus in the eye. Behind all the blind hatred and rage, he saw something else lingering, just barely, in the man's intense stare. _Hurt_. "You've betrayed our friendship. You betrayed Lily and James. You've sullied their son..."

"Lies! I haven't done anything to revoke our friendship, Remus! I'm innocent, and if you would just listen to me for one bloody- "

"Why should I listen to the man who betrayed our best friends?" His voice had gone deathly quiet, as if he was speaking in a hushed whisper. "Tell me, Sirius. I'm listening now! We all are, tell us, Sirius!" he cried shrilly, voice breaking. "How could you sell them out to the dark lord?!"

"I didn't- "

"Tell Harry how because of you he's an orphan, and that he'll never get to see his parents again!"

"You're being a stubborn git, you know that right?! Just listen- "

But he would do nothing of that sort.

"How could you sell your best friend, that provided you with a home when you had nowhere to go, out to him?!"

"S-sold Lily and James out.." Sirius repeated, paling. "I-I would never.."

Remus shook his head. "You disgust me," he spat, scowling.

Harry could feel the rapid beat of his godfather's heart as he held tightly to him. He didn't have a clue who these men were, and why their intent was to make his godfather feel guilty, but he didn't like them. His godfather wasn't a scum, and from what he saw, his hands weren't putrid at all. Why would they say such nasty things about the kind-hearted man that had gone out of his way to make him feel loved and cared for, Harry wondered, frowning. It broke his heart to see Sirius looking so vulnerable. He couldn't let them torment his godfather, who had a heart of gold as he saw it, anymore just as Dudley had tormented him. They weren't going to take him away from what he waited for so long to come. He would not go back to the Dursleys. Meanwhile, Remus was still caught in the middle of his heated rage, and Sirius looked ready to explode with anger at the false accusations, while Severus, face devoid of any emotion, watched the scene with uninterest.

"Traitor!"

Sirius felt his heart break at the words, but he would not cry. "Please, Remus, you have to believe me! It was Pettigrew ..he..he..murdered them. The Rat," his eyes were burning with anger and remorse for his fallen friend, "I knew it was a mistake...s-switching secret keepers."

"ENOUGH! I've heard of enough of your lies!" the sandy-haired man snapped, raising his wand. "Stu- "

"Leave him alone!" Harry cried, before Sirius had a chance to react.

Surprised, all eyes turned to the little figure huddled in the miscreant's arms. Harry hadn't meant to yell so loudly, but he couldn't stand their torment to his godfather anymore. "Just..l-leave him alone.." he mumbled in a shy voice, daring to make eye contact with the strangers.

"Harry," Remus moved his gaze over to the emerald eyes, his brow furrowed with worry. The boy was extremely skinny, and he could see faded bruises along his face and even on his arms. Worry quickly turned to anger. He narrowed his eyes, turning back to his former friend. "What have you done to him?!"

"I would never in my life hurt James' son! And you know that, Moony!" Sirius protested, failing to hide the smile that was playing at the corners of his lips. "If I hadn't rescued him from those horrible relatives of his, only heaven knows what- "

" -Stolen, you mean to say stolen- " Remus corrected him.

Sirius bit back his retort. "Git."

"You've done enough damage already, Black. If you were a real friend to James, you would hand over his son and stop all this nonsense!" Remus wanted nothing more than to rip his head off, but he had to somehow retrieve Harry before chaos ensued.

"Nonsense?" Sirius threw his head back, laughing. "You're the nutters who have blow down my door, and are demanding that my godson be taken away from me! And they say I'm mad!"

"Your godson? He deserves better care than you!"

Sirius snorted, "And Albus did a fine job of finding him a decent home in the first place."

"Don't you dare blame any of this on him!" Remus snapped. "He's twice the man you'll ever be, Sirius."

Something inside of Sirius broke at the words, and Harry again felt the rapid succession of his heartbeat thudding against his chest. With Nostrils flared, eyes narrowed dangerously low, and lips bent into a vicious scowl, he lost control.

"And where were you _Remus_?" he hissed, words laced with poison, "where were you when the dark lord murdered our best friends? Where were you when Harry was shipped over to those horrible relatives of his? Where were you when they were beating him senseless?!"

The room had gone silent. Only the sound of Harry's uneven breathing could be heard as he took the new information in.

"Where were you when Harry _needed_ you?"

Wand still raised, ready to strike if there were any sudden movements, Severus spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"As touching as this little reunion is, I have to remind you, Wolf, we are in the presence of a cold-blooded killer, of whom is in possession of the boy that you treasure so deeply, so please, if you're going to make a move, now would be the best time to before the filth slips away.." He paused, sighing in annoyance, "..again."

Remus nodded, taking a shaky, ragged breath. "As soon as Harry is out of harms way, he's all yours."

Sirius cleared his throat so that he would be heard. "I beg to differ, gentlemen."

This sudden, bold statement caught the attention of the 2 wizards, and even Harry was surprised.

"Pardon?" Severus inquired, raising one eyebrow, a look of pure amusement etched onto his pale face.

"No, no, you've heard me correctly, Snivellus." Sirius replied, grinning. "I plan on keeping my godson, legally or not, he deserves a real, loving guardian, and the Dursleys, as I might've mentioned a few times, are not fit to raise him any longer."

Remus threw him a skeptical look, but on the inside his nerves were twisting with worry. Actions needed to be taken now, judging by his old friend's smile, in assurance of Harry's safety. He wouldn't let the boy be whisked away with a murderer. "Loving you say? Well, you can't possibly be referring to yourself, can you?" he scoffed.

"As a matter of fact, I am, Moony."

Sirius gave Harry's shoulder a light squeeze, and whispered so quietly that the boy had to strain his ears just to hear him. "Do you trust me, pup?" At once, Harry nodded, only slightly so the men wouldn't become suspicious. "Good," he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut tight for a moment, and finally releasing his breath as he opened them up again, "I'm sorry I have to do this to you; please know I would never hurt you."

_What's he talking about?_ Harry wondered, _I know he wouldn't hurt me.._. And suddenly, he let out a small gasp as his godfather quietly slipped his hand into his pocket and slyly pulled out a small, gleaming blade with very sharp edges. "Be very still, pup," he whispered in a hushed tone. In a flash, he had the knife level with his godson's neck, extremely close to his throat. Harry felt a drop of sweat roll down the side of his face, but he had to trust his godfather, and pray that he wasn't lying about not hurting him. He didn't move a muscle, and his eyes traveled over to Remus, who had gone as white as a sheet. Even Severus, the seemingly nonchalant man, had broke out into a cold sweat.

"LET HIM GO, SIRIUS!" Remus shouted, panicking. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and he felt the lump in his throat increase.

Sirius eyed his friend threateningly, and he pushed down his guilty feelings over pulling a knife on his young godson. He knew that this was the only way he could get his wand back, even if it was terrifying to Harry. "If you hand over my wand, I won't slit his throat." he reasoned, trying to sound as menacing as possible.

"Drop the child, Black," Severus demanded, with a slightly less venomous demeanor, "this is low, even for you."

"Wand first," he challenged, narrowing his eyes. _I'm so sorry to do this to you Moony....I would never harm Harry...ever.._

Remus fought to keep the panic out of his voice as he turned to his partner. "G-give him his wand, Severus...it's the only way..."

"He's lying, Remus!! If we give him a wand we're only endangering Lily's son- "

"Please, d-do it..." Harry whimpered, realizing the ploy, and deciding to play along. Sirius felt a warm sense of pride flood through his body at his godson for helping the lie along, and he tried not to smile in fear it would give them away. _James would be so proud...I've already taught him the marauder ways... _

"Severus, you must!" Remus argued, even though he would rather not give the criminal his wand. "For Harry's sake..."

Giving it only one more thought, Severus begrudgingly threw the man his wand, and he caught it, but didn't lower the knife, just yet.

"Well, as much fun as this was, I must be off, gentlemen. And next time, knock before you come. It's very rude to just barge into someones home like you lot have." And with that said, Sirius pocketed the knife, clutched Harry tightly, and apparated out of sight, just lucky enough to catch the beginning of a stream of curses emitting from his friend.

* * *

Once godfather and godson reappeared, the scenery around them was completely different from the suburban style house that Sirius had first brought them to. There were no longer rows of houses lining the street, and much more green land was present. A tall, quaint-looking house with a fresh white paint job stood before them, surrounded by miles of fields, and even a small forest in the background. Of course, Harry could faintly make out the outline of another house some distance down the long stretch of road, but the location was isolated otherwise.

The 8 year old still wasn't used to the sickening sensation of apparation, but he didn't vomit, Sirius happily noted. He gawked at the size of the house as Sirius lowered him to the ground, and was too awe-struck to notice his godfather muttering protective incantations around the property so that it could not be tracked, or allow in any unwanted visitors. "Harry, are you alright?" the man asked after all the proper spells were cast, and that he was sure they were safe. "I...I'm sorry I had to pull the knife out...I didn't mean to scare you, pup," he apologized, ruffling the unruly hair affectionately. "I just didn't want to lose you, and I couldn't apparate without my wand.."

Harry smiled, looking up at this godfather. "It's alright, Sirius. It was scary at first, but I knew you weren't going to hurt me..."

"No, I would never," Sirius answered, locking the boy in a loving embrace, "now why don't we get you inside, pup? You're freezing!" He hefted the small child onto his shoulders, and made a mad dash for the front porch of the newest house. Harry giggled madly as the man galloped like a horse, and in the blink of an eye, changed into his animagi form, Padfoot, running into the house with him riding on his furry back, laughing all the way.

"It's just as roomy and large as my other home, Harry. So, there's lots of room for you to play." Sirius informed the boy once they were in the warmth of the kitchen, having changed back into his human form. "I hope everything is to your liking," he smiled.

Harry was seated at one on one of the wooden chairs next to the kitchen table. He smiled warmly at his godfather. "It's only a home with you, Sirius," he stated, staring into the man's eyes lovingly, "I would only be sad if you weren't here to share it with me," he admitted.

Sirius felt his heart swell. Only Harry knew how to pull at his heartstrings. He conjured up a chair next to his godson, and pulled the boy into his lap, hugging him to his chest. "You've inherited your mother's kindness, pup. She was always so sweet to everyone she met, and it's awful that I got to spend so much time with her, and you so little. Just know that you're a sweet boy, Harry, and I'm lucky to have you as a godson."

Harry relaxed into the man's arms, and nuzzled his head into the comfort of his godfather's shirt. He choked up a little at all of the kind words, and managed a small smile. "I'm glad you're my godfather, Sirius....Is this what having a real daddy feels like?" he wondered, closing his eyes as the exhaustion overtook him. Slowly, slowly, he was beginning to drift off.

Sirius wrapped his arms around the small frame protectively, planting a small kiss on the top of his head. "Yes, pup, daddies look out for their children, and I look out for you. This is exactly what it feels like." He could feel his lids starting to droop as well. "Your father would've done the same for you."

"Yeah...I wish.." Harry murmured, snuggling closer to his godfather. Sirius smiled down at his puppy as he fell asleep.

"Sweet dreams, pup."

And the two of them fell asleep in the kitchen, soothed by the sounds of the wind slowly whistling as it brushed past the fields, and the steady chirp of the birds as they nestled into their own home for a nap. All was calm.

**.....TBC.... **

_Review, and tell me if you liked it. Sorry you nice folks had to wait so long for this to be up. :) _


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